Creative Core

This week the theme was “creative core”. A well known, well loved author and writing teacher named Natalie Goldberg said this quote: “All things that are born must die. In any case, continue with VIGOR!” So we did our practice with vigor :)

The focus of my sequence was to help us center within ourselves, so we can feel power within ourselves, so we can go forward and feel comfortable expressing ourselves with vigor!

After connecting with our breath, we moved into an outer hip stretch to start freeing areas of the hip and back that house the deeper core muscles. Opening sun salutations took us into balance, stretched our bellies, and woke up big muscles like the quads. The core was strengthened in a playful version of “messy dog”, then onward to partner dolphin pose to bring power & opening to the upper body.

We moved deeper into standing postures, some with dwi hasta (both arms) extended to challenge the core. We experimented with variations of plank pose, jump switch, and unique hopping in down dog. Lizard into an advanced arm balance brought us face to face with our flexibility and fearlessness. Two core sequences on the floor followed. Students placed themselves in upavista konasana, and then churned their arms in deep circles, leaning back to bring deep strength to the low back and abdominal muscles. Next from dandasana into paschimottanasana (straight legged seated forward bend) and we held an imaginary ore over our heads and rowed through rough water, creating deep circles and leaning back again to awaken strength in our low backs and deep belly muscles.

We closed with some subtle variations in pigeon to access different aspects of the hip as we coaxed it to relax with our breath and our alignment. Bridge followed, then a final pose of choice AND ….. sinking into savasana. Good work! Namaste, Lynn

Compassion

Compassion was the focus of class this week. When we tap into compassion for ourselves, it expands to others. We moved through a flow that tapped into the compassionate energies in the body.

So whether they were directing that compassion towards themselves, another, a situation or an injury, I encouraged students to “notice how compassion guides you to move on the mat today”.

As students closed their eyes and settled into their ujjayi breathing, I asked them if there was a place in their life that might be a bit tender. I asked them to bring forth compassion toward that challenge or suffering without judgement. Inviting them to visualize holding it like a parent holds a little baby, tending to it, nurturing it. Then thinking of an intention of how they’d like to compassionately be with it on the mat. While students contemplated this, I asked them to put their right hand over their heart space and their left hand over their right hand … as a gesture of dropping into this seat of compassion and love.

We focused on hips today because hips can always use a little compassion and love :) We opened with the healing sound of Om, then moved into strength, balance and hip openers. Class was interjected with dancing orangatang, aka, handstand switching straight legs in the air, 2 minutes of free time, and a minute in forearm plank. Poses for the hips included: anjenayasana, lizard, humble warrior II, half moon, standing pigeon, and regular pigeon. Each class varies a little bit. Some classes included the playful and powerful combo of boat to chair. We said goodbye to the lovely yogi, Angeles. She has been a bright light to our community at Apple for many years. We wish her the best as she moves to Spain next week.

From my heart to your heart, Lynn

Intention

This week’s theme was “Intention”. A yoga practice can support your deepest intentions. You get the chance to co-create with what you want to manifest in your class, your day, your life. You have to know what you want in order to get what you want! Sometimes that can be the hardest thing. And once you know what you want, then its figuring out how to go about making it happen. One thing students could do in this week’s class was ask themselves: “What do I want to get out of this yoga class?”

Students got the opportunity, through a handful of longer holds, to fully participate and connect with their intentions. We warmed up with surya namaskar. Then into malasana and optional crow pose. Students held some standing poses for 90 seconds on each side, and it became clear in the room that the quality of attention and focus and breathing was improved through the strengthening and discipline of holding these poses (warrior 2, extended side angle pose and triangle pose) for a longer period of time.

We mixed things up with a minute in boat pose :) Yogis then got 2 minutes of free time, and I counted off 30 second intervals for those that wanted to time themselves in a handstand or any other pose in which to build endurance. We greeted each other in partner squat, found time for pigeon and backbending and rounded the practice off with a supine twist. Thanks for your dedication, Lynn

Great Digestion

This week of thanksgiving brought a theme designed for great digestion. In our flow, we nourished ourselves with strength, balance and we wrung ourselves out with lots of twists.

We set up for great digestion, so we could digest food, people, experiences, cooking, shopping, irritating relatives, crowds, traveling or whatever students needed :)

The idea was to be so wrung out at the end of class that any frustrations or worries would leave your body & mind. Our twists were interwoven with some core, free time for an inversion or pose of choice, Goddess pose with arms overhead thinking of something you’re grateful for and receiving it with open arms, crow pose, partner squat, tree with a twist, and our apex arm balancing, twist: side crow. Students connected, laughed and breathed away any anxiety or tension. We closed with pigeon, a backbend and a partner upavista konasana with a twist.

I am thankful for each and every one of you, Lynn

Purpose & Aparigraha

Class last week had the theme of purpose and aparigraha. Aparigraha is a sanskrit word from the 8 limbs of yoga. It’s from the yamas and niyamas, which are values and habits that are the backdrop/philosophy behind the yoga practice. Aparigraha is a yama that means non-greed, non-grasping, non-clinging. Through the energy of non-grasping, we sought our unique purpose for the day. The asana practice included poses with resolve.

Students deepened their breath while I read a few words about aparigraha: Yoga is about creating space in the body and mind. When we do a posture, we strive to find our edge, stop a moment, and use the breath to determine if we can go further or if “where we are” is enough for today. When we detach from the messages of our bodies, such as pain, and continue to push forth, we are no longer expanding, but rather contracting and suffering. We are practicing greed. If our intention is to create space, an openness to Grace, then we lessen our needs and wants for things to fill us up. We are in a state of abundance and we are practicing aparigraha.

Students set their intentions and then we did our first hasta mudra, a hand gesture in which the elbows are bent and the palms face the sky. It’s a gesture of non-grasping, of opening ourselves to the moment and to exploring our unique purpose for the day. As students took the shape of hasta mudra, I spoke of allowing the hands to transmit a balanced energy of giving and receiving. I asked students to take a moment to connect fully with themselves and their surroundings, and to say this phrase to themselves: “I open to explore my unique purpose today”.

We moved into a warming flow, held plank for a full minute, weaved in a few more hasta mudras. Students took free time for an inversion of their choice that connected them to a sense of resolve or purpose. Yogis continued to connect to their power, purpose and core in warrior 2, triangle, and half moon with the top foot at the wall to create deep strength and support and maybe a moment of lifting both hands in prayer or a shoulder stretch behind the back. Tree pose revealed our strong foundation and how very present we can be, not needing anything else. A favorite was prasarita padottanasana into parsva konasana. We returned to our resolve in warrior 1 and turned it into flight in warrior 3. Students breathing and quality of attention was amazing.

I want to credit my teacher Amy Ippoliti in the photo and my mentor, Mary Lynn Fitton, for her beautiful teachings on the 8 limbs of yoga. Deep bow, Lynn